August Sets Up To Be Crucial For Shumpert

Dave Telep

07/02/2007

Iman Shumpert's ride through the camp scene is midway done. He attended Steve Nash's Skills Academy last week. With all the travel and playing, Shumpert won't be able to focus on a college selection until August.

The Steve Nash Skills Camp is over and a road-weary Iman Shumpert is heading back home. The 6-foot-4 Oak Park & River Forest senior, ranked No. 15 by Scout.com, has been to more camps in the last month than he's probably been to since the start of high school.

For his troubles, Shumpert has some mild shin splints and a book of tips he gleaned from Nash himself.

"Steve Nash came and he taught us a whole lot," Shumpert said "It was less people so you had more attention on individual skills. I wrote a lot of the stuff down too.

"I learned how to set up ball screens and how to read. Plus what he does to get open and stuff like that."

By the way, Shumpert's rounding out his point guard education. A true combo guard, he elected to take the point guard academy route when offered; he could have attended Kobe Bryant's academy as well.

Shumpert's August is likely to be as action packed as his July. There's pressure to knock his list down but he's not about to do it until he sees more campuses. "I want to take my Notre Dame (and Bradley) visit before I publish it," Shumpert said. "I'll probably be doing those in the beginning of August."

Another school that could receive an unofficial visit is North Carolina. However, until they offer an August visit won't be on the books. "That's the thing," Shumpert said. "If they offer then I'll be taking an unofficial. I have a lot of respect for North Carolina but until then I can't really take them seriously."